Predicted defeat xXx fighting fate
by HarunoRin
Summary: RENAMED After escaping the mysterious Captain by relocating to Scotland, the team of SPR has to find a way to protect Naru and Mai from her relentless anger. How will the team defeat her once and for all? Is there an unlikely ally in her ranks?
1. The Scottish Institute

**Here's the first chapter of my story for Ghost Hunt. Well, it's not really a new story... it's a sequel. THE sequel to "Mai's Raise" which really should have been renamed when the story got all epic... Oh well! I hope you guys who read the prequel to this feel good about how it goes on. All your questions will be answered!**

**As for those of you who didn't read it... why? (teary eyes) Well, I think it's worth a read but I'm biased (hehe) I try to solve all the Ghost Hunt's unanswered questions too so thats why it got so long.**

**Now, before I continue, I have to say this... and it applies to the entire story henceforth. I do not own Ghost Hunt's rights etc nor do I own the characters involved in the original series. I do not intend to make profit from this story it is simply for the sake of myself and the readers' amusement. Thank you!**

* * *

"I told you to GUARD THEM!" The silver haired woman screamed at her followers. Raenef stood to her right and glared at them as she picked up one of the lesser rank members and threw him into a wall with one hand, leaving a large indent in the wall and a mass of gore in what used to be a man's cloak.

"Clean it up then." Raenef said, coolly staring down a young PK user, who quickly started reconstructing the wall with the body inside. The captain turned and stormed from the room. It had been a week since her vessel had escaped with the Davis boy and she was still furious at the guards for falling asleep on duty.

Every day since the escape the Captain (she is known by no other name) had killed off at least one of her minions during a rage. Then she'd storm to her private quarters with Raenef and torture Cadvan some more.

Cadvan had once been her vice-captain, in the position now occupied by Raenef, and he'd been in charge of catching the vessel, a girl named Mai, using another ranked council member, a demon named Lucifer. The attempt had failed, and though Lucifer was simply demoted to the council's "plaything" (a position which meant he was treated with less respect than a pile of crap on the Captain's foot), Cadvan had had it much worse.

Raenef thought that perhaps it was because the Captain felt betrayed by him, that she saw fit to lock him up and torture him daily, for Raenef firmly believed that this woman could feel love, and he felt that the position of vice-captain was as much a declaration of love as it was a position of authority over the Captain's council. He'd explained his theory to Cadvan once, but the handsome man had laughed and called him a delusional fool.

Raenef was, of course, in love with the Captain. Despite his history, he saw her as perfection, a queen under which everyone should serve. Raenef had only entered the council when he was found by Adrian, the death keeper. He hated her, and she him, so when she found his spirit (a dark, twisted thing according to her) she handed him over to the Captain as a present. He remembered Adrian's smile of amusement as the beautiful young man had been thrown into the torture room, and used as a plaything.

He knew a little about his life when he was human. Apparently he'd been a serial rapist and murderer, who despite his beauty, saw fit to take a knife to the faces of his victims and-

"Raenef." His Captain called, and he watched her avidly as she sat back on a chaise lounge. "I hate Oliver Davis." She spat, like a pouting child, and glared at him. "I want him to suffer as I have suffered simply through his existence!" Her voice rose, and Raenef bowed his blond head in respect. "If that boy and his brother had never been born then things would be so much simpler!"

Raenef looked up at her nervously. "Do you hate Doumeki too? For fathering those boys when he lived?" She stared at him before laughing.

"Oh no... In fact, I think Doumeki is one of my most favoured council members, the others, of course, being Adrian and Boar." She smiled gently, and Raenef felt the green eyes of jealousy, something the Captain noticed. "Why Raenef, surely your place of favour is secure? Are you not my vice-captain?" She laughed again and waved her hand. "Go. Call Doumeki, Adrian and Boar then we shall all have..." The Captain grinned and fingered a box on the table beside her. "... A nice chat."

Raenef nodded and left the room, sighing. _I almost pity those children. _He thought, and smirked. _Almost._

* * *

"Dr Davis, we've had some new boarders arrive since you last visited."

"Of course. I got the files you sent me in Leicestershire. How are they coping with their change of lifestyle?" Martin asked, smiling. "My son wants to talk with the doctors we have surveying the Cook family. They could help him with some things." He smiled at the head researcher of the Scottish SPR branch, a Mr Albert Finch. "I'd like him to be put in charge of their case."

Dr Finch nodded and smiled back at Martin. "I suppose Oliver will want his laboratory stocked?" He made a note on the accounts list and smiled again. "Now... tell me Dr Davis; I'm fascinated to know more about Oliver and Mai Taniyama?"

Martin's face cracked into a huge grin. "I thought you'd never ask! Well, as a proud father I'm all too willing to share this with you! When my son moved to Japan, he employed her as an assistant because there was... an accident involving a camera and Koujo." He smiled and began to relate the entire story. (But more romantic and dramatic... impossible you say? Believe me, it's possible; after all, this is Martin Davis.)

"Wake up Mai. In case you haven't noticed it's now eleven o'clock in the morning and you've not yet seen the whole of the Scottish institute." The cold voice was not unwelcome, but she groaned anyway.

"It's too early."

She heard a soft sigh and then a weight sat down on the bed beside her. "Mai." She blushed; how could he manage to embarrass her so easily?

"I'm awake." She sighed, defeated, and moved her head, opening her eyes to look into his blue ones. "What's the time?"

He brought his eyebrows together and frowned in frustration. "I've told you six times now. Do you tune out whenever someone tries to tell you something?"

Mai smiled sheepishly. "What? Did you say something?" Oliver Davis' blue eyes narrowed in annoyance and he shifted position so that he was kneeling above her threateningly.

The brown haired girl chuckled nervously as he leaned forwards and put one hand either side of her head so she had no choice but to look him right in the eyes. "You..." He said, authoritatively, "... are going to listen to every damn word I say. Every syllable. I am your boss and you should respect that. I am your _boyfriend _so you should at least pretend to respect _that_ Mai." He smirked. "Or else..."

Mai recognised this game. He'd said similar things yesterday when she didn't pay attention to what room she was staying in and had wandered into his. "Or else...?" She grinned, and Naru 

laughed. Actually laughed. He sat back and helped her to sit up, shaking his head. "Naru?" Mai asked, moving to sit with him and resting her chin on his shoulder. It was nice to be alone with him (while not kidnapped and fearing for your lives) because he opened up much more. Not completely, but he was getting there.

"Or else..." He seemed to think about it and then continued smoothly. "Or else I'll never say another word." His eyes gleamed playfully and Mai laughed.

"Oh no! No more lectures on my tardiness or my general ineptitude! How will I survive?"

"You won't." Naru stated, business face assuming its position in a mock serious moment. "You wouldn't be able to last without hearing my voice."

Mai frowned. _Such a... a... NARCISSIST!! _"Naru really is the perfect name for you isn't it?" She raised an eyebrow and sighed.

The dark haired boy snickered and lay back on the bed. "You're not denying it." He pointed out. "Imagine me never talking again; it would have its downfalls with you especially. I'd never say your name kindly, or compliment you, or whisper sweet nothings in your ear."

Mai blushed. "You don't do that anyway."

"That's right. I don't. I'm not saying anything in particular yet you're listening avidly. Why, then, when someone tries to be helpful, you completely space out?" He smirked, knowing he'd won the battle, and sat back up, catching Mai's shoulder and leaning in to kiss her. "Get dressed. You're being shown round the institute today."

FLASH "What a beautiful picture! I'm so sorry I didn't quite get the kiss but I got here as fast as I could!" Luella Davis smiled and walked into the room. "Noll, leave! I have brought clothes for this wonderful child!"

Naru stared at her. "Mai gets clothes yet I'm told to look around and find spares? Never mind mother. I'll see you both in the reception area." He muttered, and left the room. Luella smiled at Mai in a way that the smaller girl definitely didn't like. Once the door was shut, Luella produced several large carrier bags from behind her back.

"Ta-da!" She cheered happily. Mai's eyes widened at the look of the bags. She didn't know the names or the shops but the bags alone looked... amazing.

* * *

The clothes inside were stunning; it seemed Luella had a thing for buying clothes and got carried away when she went out. There was a whole new wardrobe of clothes for Mai with various outfit styles. Mai now had formal, casual, hiking, work, lounge, summer, winter, school, and even dating clothes. Mai laughed nervously as Luella grinned.

"You can wear those when you go out with Noll!" Luella chirped, and waved her camera in front of Mai's face. "Now, I want you to dress in all of these for lovely pictures!"

"Eheh sure..." Mai laughed nervously. _Naru... Help me..._

* * *

It was a full two hours before Mai came downstairs.

Naru had been waiting impatiently in the reception area as James talked happily with one of the nurses. "So I need to talk to Dr Davis or Dr Finch?" He confirmed, and smiled dazzlingly at the girl nurse behind the counter, who blushed.

"Y-yes." She smiled, and Naru sighed. His mother had Mai and a camera so she'd probably take a while...

"James." He said. "You can have the job. Go with nurse..." He looked at the girl; she looked familiar but he couldn't remember her name at all. She noticed this and pouted a little, her Glasgow accent strong as she lowered her voice in annoyance.

"Anne Maxis. Right this way James." She smiled again and James laughed at Naru good naturedly before following the girl to get a uniform.

"Oliver! Darling!" Luella's clear voice rang through the quiet room and Naru looked to see his overly exuberant mother spinning in happy little circles through the double doors that led to the staff residential rooms. "I can't wait to see your face when you see Mai!"

_Oh God... _Naru leaned his head back a little and looked as though he was fighting nausea. _What will she have done...?_

However, apparently Luella Davis has good taste in clothing. Because when Mai walked through the doors, Naru blushed, and smiled.

_Oh God... _Luella thought, as she watched a gentle smile grace the handsome face of her son. _The world is ending... I need more photos!_

FLASH

* * *

**Rin- **(sigh) That's chapter 1 and it's decidedly un-epic...

**Rin's friend- **You spend so much time on the computer but none of it's studying is it?

**Rin- **Nope! (laughs) I have fun!

**Rin's friend- **Your exams start in just two weeks...

**Rin- **Don't remind me.

**Rin's friend- **You're gonna fail...

**Rin- **Yep. (sigh)


	2. Preparing for the fight

**OK! some more stuff happens in this chapter but no real fighting yet. Just some preparations etc. Hope it's not boring! Theres some more pairing stuff here though, so yay!**

* * *

Naru smiled and walked over to Mai slowly. "You ready to have a tour?" He asked, and she felt her heart skip a beat... or two.

"Uh... yeah of course!" She grinned. Then she noticed something she'd not noticed before. "Naru... you're wearing jeans!" He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and dark plain jeans with black converse shoes. _Uh... wow. _She laughed. "I wasn't sure you were really seventeen before now!" Naru shook his head and lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

He looked down at her from beneath his dark fringe. "You're such an idiot." He sighed. Mai herself was wearing a light pink summer dress with a denim cropped jacket and trainers, looking decidedly unusual but at the same time cute.

Luella squealed proudly. "Oh my god you two are adorable!" FLASH "Martin! Darling you'll love this one!"

"Mother..." Naru's eyebrow twitched lightly in annoyance and he stared at her as she ran down the corridor to the ward rooms where Dr Martin Davis would undoubtedly be filling in the other doctors on the severity of their situation.

Or not.

* * *

"So They've been an adorable little couple ever since!" Martin smiled proudly and showed Dr Finch the developed photos of his son and Mai. "Look at the softness in his eyes in this photo! My little boy is so grown up!" He grinned and Dr Finch's eyebrows rose.

"They got kidnapped? This woman is after them? Shouldn't you have told me we needed to fortify the building as soon as you got here?" Dr Finch indulged his employer's eccentricities quite happily, but he was a man with a great sense of prioritising. "Marie!" He shouted, and a female doctor ran into the office.

"Yes sir?"

"Gather all the PK users in rooms according to type and strength, the all the Mediums and other patients in similar groups. We need to fortify the building so get the Priests and spell users to secure the perimeter of the courtyard, with another barrier around the institute building. This is a crisis and we cannot afford to lose any more time!"

"Yes sir!" Marie shouted and ran from the room, her white coat trailing behind. Martin laughed bemusedly.

"I suppose it is rather urgent isn't it?"

Dr Finch sighed. "Sometimes Martin, I think you're far too young for this."

Martin smiled. "And Noll?"

"Noll's too old."

"Ah."

* * *

Marie ran right past Naru and Mai as she gathered the patients and employees according to Psychic type. "Hi Noll! Bye Noll!"

Naru shook his head and smirked. "It seems that Dr Finch has managed to find out what's going on from Dad's ramblings." He murmured in amusement. "Did you have a dream last night?"

Mai nodded. "I saw both Gene and Adrian."

"Did you do as I asked?" He whispered, looking down at her compassionately.

Mai smiled. "Yeah."

"Tell me what happened."

* * *

**Mai's dream-**

"Gene? Are you there?" She called, and looked around. She was standing in front of a cave, and from the cave an eerie white light made the atmosphere surreal and spooky. From the cave, Mai could hear the steady dripping of water and... a voice.

"Mai. Come here." It was a woman, but Mai hesitated, thinking of the strange woman with silver hair... "Mai. Don't worry; it's not the captain, it's me, Adrian."

"Adrian?" Mai asked, and slowly moved into the cave, squinting past the glow and trying to look for the dark haired elf-like woman who had helped them escape. "Where's Gene?"

"Hello Mai." Gene smiled warmly and Mai felt the knots in her stomach relax.

"Hey."

Adrian's voice came again, but the glow still blinded Mai. "Follow my voice."

Mai entered the cave more and found she was following a tunnel, getting closer to the sound of water and Adrian's smooth voice. She emerged in a small cavern, and Adrian sat before a hole beneath a shelf of rock, from which pearlescent water seemed to drip slowly.

"Welcome to the gate Mai." Adrian smiled, and Gene moved to stand with her. "This is where spirits move on."

Mai smiled. "Adrian you look... much better."

"Healthier." Gene agreed. "When Adrian's here, there's no danger. She guards the spirit world and keeps spirits safe from outside influence."

"Like what?"

"Like the Captain." Adrian smiled. "I joined her ranks for my own amusement; I was curious to see what such a strong power could be looking for. Then my purpose changed, and I stay simply because I need to keep the peace." She reached out a hand and stroked Mai's cheek tenderly. "When your parents came past me, I didn't tell them your fate, because if I had they would have never crossed over."

Mai smiled. "Then I must thank you."

"No need. Just promise me that you'll help me fix this. It's her influence that's causing an unbalance in this world, and soon the spirits will pour out of here, unable to find peace ever again as they watch their descendants suffer." Adrian steeled her gaze. "Only you and Oliver can know this. Alice knows the outcome of this, but if you tell the others then the future may change for the worst. Bad things are coming anyway, but if you change the way this is going, then our plans fall to ruin, and Mai, you become what the Captain wants you to become."

Mai nodded tightly. "What does the captain want? Why has she gathered a council?"

Adrian looked at Gene and then back at Mai. "She wants... to have the spirit world die. If ghosts are stranded on Earth, then the world beyond becomes empty. Do you have any idea what lies behind me?" Mai shook her head. "You cannot imagine how beautiful it is there. Anyone who's seen it wants it, and anyone who wants it will do anything for it. As spirits, the dead can find peace, but if a living person sees it, their hearts are closed to my influence, and I can't purify the selfish emotions that take hold."

Mai's eyes widened. "She wants the spirit world? All this for land?"

Adrian shook her head. "No." She whispered. "she wants the power that lies in its depths. There is an object in there, and it governs existence itself with its power. It is a consciousness that both creates and destroys, and it is the very thing that gifts some with psychic ability. It is my master and my servant, my lover and my parent, it is..." Adrian stopped.

"It is...?" Mai prompted, and from Gene's expression of intent concentration, it seemed that Adrian had not told him either.

The elfin beauty smiled. "It is... the pure essence of Karma, of God, of life and death. This is what we protect by destroying her."

"Why does she want it?"

"Greed." Adrian murmured. "She will never be stronger than this object, and she resents it. The Captain is a complex woman, but she is also so very simple. She doesn't understand its potency, but she wants it anyway. That is all I can tell you."

Mai nodded. "I don't understand though..." She whispered, and Adrian bowed her head.

"You won't. Not for a long time."

Gene shook his head. "I think... that you don't know everything."

"Of course not." Adrian nodded. "There is only one person who knows _everything _that is going on, and she can't tell you."

"Alice." Mai sighed. _How can she be sane? Knowing the outcome and being unable to change it for the better? _"Poor Alice."

"Indeed." Adrian agreed. "She comes here sometimes, as she goes into trances. She's sat with me many times and talked."

"Will she die?"

"Ever? Certainly." Adrian looked away. "She has told me things. She knows I won't affect the outcome, so it is safe. I can keep her sane." Mai felt a familiar pull on her consciousness and smiled.

"I have to go." Mai stated. "Naru's waking me up."

"Yes. Tell him what I told you, and tell him you asked his questions well." Adrian smiled and Gene laughed. Mai grinned brilliantly and left the dream.

* * *

Naru nodded. "We'll help her." He agreed. "Mai, follow me, I want to show you my laboratory."

Mai smiled at him happily and hugged him, a faint blush gracing her cheeks as she walked beside him and they entered the research area of the institute. "You have your own laboratory?" She asked, and he raised his dark eyebrows in that prideful, arrogant way.

"Of course I do."

"Of course you do." She rolled her eyes and sighed but smiled gently up at him. "This means a lot to you doesn't it Naru?" She asked, reaching to take the other teen's hand. A strange expression crossed his face; something between sadness and excitement.

"Yes." He breathed, and Mai understood; it was something he'd shared with Gene, and something he had to connect him with his family. This science was the very thing his life had revolved around all his life, and it was the very thing he liked to have for himself. It was the talent he possessed that defined him and ensured his academic and intellectual superiority.

Mai nodded. "You're sure you want to share this?" She asked, looking down and away from his face, but the pale hand around hers tightened almost imperceptibly, and nothing was said but Naru continued to lead her down the network of corridors. "Thanks." She whispered, and unseen to her Naru smiled.

"Naru..." Mai started, biting her lip. "This is going to work right? Rin said it would but I don't understand her motives here..."

Naru nodded and they entered the laboratory, donning their white coats and putting their id cards through the reader. "We don't have any other ideas." He stated.

"We have Adrian."

Naru smiled. "No one else can know that."

* * *

"Where are you going?" Adrian asked, as Boar watched silently from beside her. "Why did you call us here if you were already leaving?" Her pretty face was flushed. "I need to be at the gate!"

"No you don't." The Captain said, softly. "I've decided that I won't wait for a new body. I want it now!"

Adrian shook her head. "You know you can't."

The Captain glared at her. "Then hurry up and send Lucifer to find them!" She turned her glare on Boar. "GO!"

"Yes sir." He grunted, and left the room. The captain smiled at Adrian who shook her head and vanished.

* * *

"Alice!" David shook his sister's shoulder and she looked at him. "You spaced out." He muttered, standing up. "We have to go; we're being called to help fortify the building."

"I can't help." Alice frowned. "I can only see the future." She looked away. _I don't want to know anyone any better, not when their deaths keep me awake at night. _"You go. I want to stay here." When he didn't move, she slapped his shoulder. "Alone! Go." Reluctantly, the blond boy moved from the bed and left, as his sister turned on the CD player.

Her favourite song came on, but she closed her eyes. _This singer will die of heart failure after a car accident in two days. _She sighed. "Tonight, I will be eating beans but David will steal five of them." Her eyebrows furrowed and she opened her eyes.

_Whenever I blink, I see things, when I sleep it's like a film on fast-forward._

"I can't help anyone."

* * *

Rin stirred the iced tea and eyed the gathering fighters carefully. They looked like decent people, but she knew that that wasn't everything. "I'm going to get that bitch for what she did to me and my family." She muttered, and her two companions nodded. John and Masako walked over to the four and John smiled. "Madoka, Lin wants to talk to you." He said, and the auburn haired woman smiled back.

"Of course." She smiled. "Koujo! I'm coming!"

Leaving Yasuhara, Rin, John and Masako at the small cafeteria table, she ran over to the stoic Chinese man. Rin motioned for John and Masako to sit down, but John shook his head. "Luella wanted me to help securing the perimeter." He explained, but smiled warmly. "Thank you anyway."

Masako smiled and took Madoka's empty seat. "Thank you." She nodded to Rin. "Are David and Alice...?"

"Helping?" Rin finished. "I think so. Alice isn't coping well with meeting you all. She... is very bad at getting close to people." Masako glanced at her and hid her face behind her kimono sleeve.

"She's seen how this ends." She sighed.

Rin nodded. "Yes."

Yasuhara sighed. "I'd rather not be told though." Masako looked up at him in surprise.

"Why not?" She asked. "Wouldn't you prefer to have the chance to prepare yourself if you were the one to die? What if we all die?"

Yasuhara smiled softly. "I'd like to act on my own choices, not on choices I make after seeing the result of those choices." He looked at Rin sadly. "You've been told?"

She shook her head. "Alice won't say." She sighed. "I wish I could help; I'm like their mother and it hurts to see them sad."

"Yet for your real children you have no cares?" Masako bit out, and then looked away. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't..."

"No." Rin nodded. "You're right to be angry. But the reason I went to Japan was to protect them... I thought they were there. I had no idea they were in my home country."

Yasuhara glanced at her. "You were there when Gene died." Masako gasped, and breathed the name of her dead lover.

"Yes I was." Rin assented. Masako stood up and pushed the chair back, making it fall over.

"I have to..." She sobbed quietly and turned, running away and out of the large room. The Catholic priest, John, saw this quickly and followed close behind.

"Miss Hara!" He called as the doors closed behind him.

* * *

Naru and Mai had just emerged from the laboratory when Masako ran past in tears. "Masako!" Mai cried, and John ran past. "John!" She called, and, dragging Naru by the hand followed the other two down the corridor.

The four teenagers ran down the corridors until they reached the bedrooms where they were staying. Masako ran into the room she shared with Mai and Ayako before falling on her knees and sobbing quietly.

John ran over to her and knelt beside her, pulling her head to his shoulder and rubbing her back. "It's okay... its okay..." He whispered.

"Did you hear?" Masako choked. "Did you hear that she was there?" She looked up at John and whispered so that Naru couldn't hear. "She was there when Gene died."

John's face twitched and he nodded. "I'm sorry."

Mai walked over and knelt beside the other two. "Masako... what's wrong? What happened?" Naru walked over to them as well, but remained standing, showing concern only through his eyes.

Masako smiled weakly at her friend. "I'm sorry... I suppose I'm just panicking about all of this." She shrugged and sat up, away from the blond priest. "I didn't mean to worry you."

Mai smiled. "It's okay." She whispered. "I'd rather worry over nothing than not be there when something happens."

Masako smiled. "Thanks."

John bowed his head and breathed in a voice not loud enough to be a whisper. "Well done." Only Masako heard and she looked at him.

"I've been in love once before. It wasn't Naru, but..." She looked up at Naru. "I'm sorry I never told you... I knew Gene. We... were lovers before he died."

Naru stepped back as though he'd been slapped. "You..." He closed his eyes and then glared at her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She shook her head. "I wanted to see... if you could replace him. I loved him so much and you looked so much like him... I'm sorry." She looked at Mai. "I knew it was Gene who came to me at Urado's mansion... but I pretended it was Naru, because the idea of Gene watching over me was too... sad." She bowed her head and looked at John. Who winced and took a deep breath, steadying himself.

"I love you." He whispered, and she smiled happily.

"I... love you too." He smiled back and held her close.

Naru and Mai smirked at each other and left the room, leaving the couple embracing each other and walked down the corridor.

"Are you alright?" Mai asked, looking up at the boy beside her. He nodded and looked at her.

"Do you mind if we go back to the lab? I want to try some tests... on you. If that's ok."

Mai stared at him. "That was almost as good as a _please! _Are you sure you're okay Naru?" She faked fear and put a hand to her mouth. "I need to find a doctor."

Naru smiled softly and shook his head. "You really are an idiot. Come here." He held out one hand and she took it, letting him lead her to the lab, and opening the door once more to let her in.

* * *

**I'm not happy with this chapter... It doesn't read well I don't think ... hmm...**

**Oh well!**

By the way, should i separate the previous story into two stories? It's pretty long and I'm not sure. What do you think? REVIEW!


	3. Fatality one

**I'm not getting many reviews for this story... so updates will be less often cause I'm less inspired and I got revision to do too sorry, but i'm warning you not to be surprised if it turns into an update a week.**

**Of course, now I said this, I might end up updating tomorrow cause I suddenly finished a chapter (sweatdrop) but whatever happens, this story will definately finish!**

"Mai. This is a neuron reader. Can you sleep here? Now?"

Mai waited patiently as the dark haired doctor attached the white sticky pads to various points on her forehead and neck. His breath was tickling her skin and his fingers, which were steady and focused, made her skin tingle. "Uh..." She watched him look up at her. "I think so."

He smiled gently and walked over to a small hospital bed, pushing it over to where Mai was wired to the Neuron reader, motioning for her to get on. "This will be more comfortable than the desk." He ordered, and Mai nodded. "I just want to read your brainwaves as you sleep sop that I can get an idea of the extent of yours, and consequently the captain's power."

"Right!" Mai nodded, and climbed onto the hard hospital bed. "Want to join me?" She joked, and Naru raised his eyebrows. Mai's eyes widened as she realised what she said, and she covered her mouth, blushing. "Sorry, I- I... uh..."

"You...?" Naru had obviously decided that waiting for an answer instead of teasing her outright would get the most interesting reaction, and Naru was never disappointed.

"Uh! Hmm..." Mai closed her eyes, slapping both her cheeks and shaking her head. "Nothing. I mean, obviously not _nothing _because I obviously said something but it doesn't matter." She peeked at him through her fingers, which had been put over her face in embarrassment. "But- what? Naru don't look at me like that; I didn't say anything!"

He sighed and picked up his clipboard, pushing the monitor of the neuron reader so that it was visible to Mai, and moved to the bed, sitting by her pillow.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

"Joining you." He said simply. "Just lie down and sleep." He pushed her shoulder so that she lay against the pillow. Naru looked at her over his shoulder and nodded towards the screen. "Do you know what that line means?"

"That-? Hey! Why is it flat? Aren't I giving out brainwaves?" Mai panicked. Naru sighed and leaned forwards, kissing her lightly on the forehead.

Then he pulled out a cable and held it in front of her face. "It's not plugged in." He pointed out, and the brunette giggled nervously.

"Sorry Naru."

"It's fine. Go to sleep."

* * *

"Koujo." Madoka smiled as they finished applying charms to the surrounding walls of the institute. "I've finished." The Chinese man smiled back in response and he nodded.

"Me too." He murmured, and bent down to kiss the top of her head, laughing deep in his throat when her eyes widened and she blushed. "Madoka." He started, but she flung her arms round his neck and pulled his mouth down to hers.

"No goodbyes, Koujo." She breathed, kissing him again. "No goodbyes." After a stunned moment of no response, the tall man pulled her close by the waist and kissed her passionately.

"I love you."

"I know." She gasped. "I love you too."

They stayed out in the rain, just being together as the fortifications of the institute continued.

* * *

The night was gathering, and an uneasy rest fell on the quiet corridors of the institute. Mediums and Doctors patrolled the halls, working shifts and keeping an eye on the horizon. A smog of silence cloaked the building, with only the occasional clack of hard-soled shoes on the tiled floors, and whispered conversations between passing sentries.

Martin sat up in bed with a parenting book as his wife finished changing into her nightclothes and climbed in beside him. "How's your day been?" She asked.

Martin smiled over his glasses and shrugged. "Noll spent the day in his laboratory with Mai." He started. "I spent a while on the fortifications; I planned where to put the Japanese charms and oversaw a rather talented young shaman." He smiled. "How about yours?"

Luella nodded. "I talked with David Cook for a bit. His sister Alice is having... trouble." She sighed. How hard it must be for a child like her... Oh Martin, I hope we can help her when this is over."

"I think Houshou Takigawa is looking into it." He murmured. "Although it seems that this situation is prompting several declarations of love so maybe not..." He smirked. "I think it's rather sweet actually."

Luella nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. "Hideki returned to Japan yesterday."

"Oh? I never said goodbye." Martin frowned.

Luella laughed prettily and slapped his stomach playfully. "You never noticed." She pointed out. "You've been too busy with Finch." Martin nodded and murmured his assent. "Martin." Luella whispered.

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you too darling. Come here." He wrapped his arm around her back and brought her face up for a kiss.

* * *

"Here?" The Captain checked, and the demon at her side nodded.

"I'm sure master." He growled. Lucifer had taken the form of a huge dog and sniffed the air hungrily. "Emotions are rife in there master... please let me feed!" He begged, but Raenef, who held onto his chain, kicked him in the side, causing him to yelp in pain.

"Quiet beast." Raenef snarled, and turned to the Captain. "I'll call the council members."

"No." She smiled. "Only call Boar. He can have the first night to himself."

Raenef nodded and soon Boar appeared beside him. "Master. I thank you for this." And he vaulted the wall, black cape fluttering behind him as he ran to the wall of the house and disappeared through a window.

"His speed makes him invisible to mortals." The captain smiled. "No one will know he's here until he's chosen his prey."

Raenef smiled and nodded. "He's our best."

* * *

Luella Davis smiled at her husband's sleeping face as she slowly got up and wrapped a dressing gown around her body. Sighing, she ran a hand through her wavy hair and opened the door to the corridor as a light breeze made the hem of her silk nightgown sway softly against her legs.

"Lu?" Martin murmured. "Why are you up?" He sat up slowly and put his glasses on his nose from the bedside table. Luella smiled and shrugged.

"I wanted to check in on Noll and Mai to see if they'd left the laboratory yet." She explained, laughing softly to herself. "Don't worry I'll be-!" She gasped as a sudden, stronger wind pulled her from the doorway and into the corridor.

"LUELLA!" Martin shouted in horror, jumping from his bed and bolting to the door, only to see an empty hallway and an open door. "That's-!" Martin ran to the door and opened it, running up the emergency staircase to the roof, where he could faintly hear a laughing voice.

_No! Not Luella! Please no. How did they get in? How did they get past the defences? WHY WEREN'T WE PREPARED?!_

He ran out of the door at the top and towards the man holding his wife by the throat. He was a giant of a man, with dark skin like burned copper. The man turned around and his pace was stony and impassive.

"Martin..." Luella choked, and stared at him with her tear stained eyes. The rain fell from the sky and battered against the back of Martin's neck as he froze on the spot and stared at the woman he loved, and the cloaked man holding her a foot from the ground.

* * *

Alice was shaking as she and David sat alone in the room they shared with Rin. Their older sister had left them so that she could go and discuss tactics with the other doctors. "David..." The smaller girl whispered, and he hurried to her side.

"What is it Alice? Can you see something?" He stopped himself and pulled her head to his chest. "It's okay... you don't have to tell me... It's okay..." He closed his eyes and Alice whispered something against his chest. Surprised, he looked down at his little sister and rubbed her back uncertainly. "Alice?"

"Go... to the roof... I can't do this, please _go._"

"The roof?"

"Yes! Go!" She whispered but with a strength he'd not thought possible from the girl. Without saying anything else, he got up and ran from the room. Alice felt the tears on her cheeks and checked her hand, remembering the Captain's curse whispered in her ear every night since her parents died.

_Every time you try to change the future you shorten your life and receive a cut across your palm... Don't interfere!_

Words whispered spitefully in her dreams after she'd sent Rin to her parents' aid. She looked at her palm and winced as a long scratch made its way across the pale skin. One more cut, deeper than the last two.

One, when she sent Rin to her parents and one when she sent Rin after the eldest twin. Both times had failed, but the scars proved that she'd tried. Now she had a third scar, and another portion of time removed from her life. Alice frowned and bent her head. _Please don't be too late this time, don't let it be for nothing..._ She looked at her hand, and, coming to a decision, followed David from the room.

* * *

"LUELLA!" Boar grinned inwardly as he threw the woman from the roof and jumped after her, landing on her neck after she fell against the concrete of the car park area, breaking it cleanly and walking away as she rasped her last breath.

_I feel the grief... delicious._

Martin flung his hand over the edge of the roof and screamed her name, but no answer came, and he had to turn his eyes away. Alice stood behind him, where had she come from? She looked at his stricken face and tear filled eyes and kneeled before him, stroking his dark hair. "I'm very sorry that I couldn't tell any of you..." She whispered, and he pulled her into a hug.

"I can't believe... that she's really gone..." He rasped. "I'll never forgive that person for this... _never_."

"Yes you will." David sighed, his own tears falling freely. "That's how you are, Mr Davis. But don't worry; even if you forgive, I can pretty much guarantee that none of the others will."

"I won't..." Martin whispered. "She was my wife... was that the one who killed Gene too?"

David looked to the large man as he jumped over the only patch of wall uncovered by talismans. "I think so."

"Then I can't forgive." Martin said, and David closed his eyes to the rasping quality. "I can't even live..."

"You have to." David snapped. "Even if your family is almost gone, even if it breaks apart and eventually you're left alone, you have to live! People here depend on you, as does Noll."

"Noll..." Martin whispered, eyes focussing and turning to the blond boy. "He too, has lost two of his most important people!"

"Suicide isn't an answer." Alice soothed, and Martin looked at her sharply.

"I thought you weren't allowed to interfere." He muttered, face haggard, and David looked at his sister.

"You saw his suicide? Didn't you want me to stop Luella's death?"

Alice closed her eyes. "You couldn't have got there in time, and there was no way to stop her death tonight."

Martin bent over double and cried harshly on the cold roof floor.

David bowed his head and Alice looked at him before turning to Martin and smiling. _I can help, because I want to help these people. Even though some deaths are inevitable, others can be stopped if foreseen soon enough. That is my gift right Adrian? Look after Luella for us, we'll see her when we follow._

Alice allowed her own tears to fall and she looked to the wall where, just beyond her sight, she knew Boar and the others were. "We won't let them win."

Martin's sobs came harder, and stronger, and the two children hugged him in comfort and compassion.

"Luella..." He whispered, before passing out in the rain.

* * *

**Wow that's depressing... Luella got killed! Alice has made a turnaround in her attitude, and there's another confession of love! Next chapter- there's no time to grieve as the attacks on the institute become more frequent, Takigawa's cofession, and when Adrian is ordered to kill a member of SPR what can she do to defend her own goal?**

**REVIEW even if you hate the story... but be constructive! no flames!**


	4. then there was silence until

**Ah! poor Luella! I'll miss her camera snapping ways... even if I was the one who decided she was gonna die...**

* * *

"We are gathered here today to commemorate the life of Luella Davis..." John said, voice breaking as he stood beside the coffin and looked at his friends and colleagues.

The funeral had to be held the next morning; there was no time to wait. When told the news, Naru had locked himself in his lab and wouldn't even talk to Martin or Mai. The entire institute had been in a state of shock, the defences reinforced, and then...

The funeral.

Oliver Davis was standing at the back of the small chapel, arms crossed and staring straight ahead. Martin stood up and said some words, but he was trembling, and his voice was shaking, but he bowed his head for a moment, just a moment, and when he raised it again, John saw determined eyes.

"My family has lost so much in so few years. First, my eldest son, Eugene Davis, taken from us by this man, this... _Boar_ as he calls himself, under the leadership of this woman, the Captain. Then, last night, they weasel their way through a gap in our defences and take away my wife!

"Yet I will still fight them. I am willing to lose _everything _to free us from them." He looked his son in the eye. "Because I believe that we are in the right, and though we may not know what they want..." Naru and Mai glanced at their feet as Alice looked at them. "... But I know that they cannot be good people if they hurt others without remorse." He raised his chin and gripped the bible stand fiercely. "I loved Luella with all my heart, and I will love her all my life. In order to honour her memory, no, to honour her as a person, a woman, I will finish what we started together, and while I'm at it, I'll bloody well defeat this captain and her council!"

Martin nodded sharply to himself, and, after turning and kissing the coffin, left the chapel. John watched him and, after a moment of silence, he pressed the button and sent the coffin to be cremated.

"Amen."

* * *

"Naru." The brown haired girl put one hand on the closed door and sighed. "Please... let me in?" She whispered. "I know it must be hard... and it's awful that this has happened to you, but you can't stay in here forever."

On the other side of the door, the dark haired boy sat at his desk, with his glasses, a cup of tea, and the results of Mai's test, looking at the door.

"Naru..."

There was a soft thud and Naru raised his eyebrows; Mai must have fallen against the door. Then there were footsteps and another voice sounded. "Noll let us in." His father's deep voice rumbled through the door and Oliver walked over to the door, standing in front of it silently. "You're being very childish."

"Mr Davis..." Mai's voice sounded weak. "Don't be like that."

"Why not? I lost my _wife _Mai! Don't tell me what to do." Martin sounded harsh, and Naru's head snapped up as he swung the door open and Mai promptly fell against his legs. Martin looked at his son and smiled wearily. "I thought that would make you open the door." He murmured.

Mai pushed herself up into a sitting position and looked down at her knees, avoiding eye contact with either of the men. "Mai." Naru said, and she looked up at him. "Get up, the floor might be dirty."

"Yes sir." She muttered, and stood up, dusting off her black skirt and leaning against the wall. "You ok?" She asked, and then frowned. "I mean... are you coping ok?"

Naru looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Yes, that's why I locked myself up in my lab." She flinched and he felt a stab of sorrow. "Sorry. I'll be fine." He assured her, and sighed. "Don't worry."

Mai nodded and Martin smiled. "We have a lot of work to do you two, but for today, I want you two to have the day off."

"But dad..."

"No." Martin ran a hand though his greying hair and sighed. "You can't leave the premises, but just... spend time together. I'll let the other SPR members off too; Lin, Madoka, Ayako, Houshou, John and Masako." He shook his head. "You lot have had the most work to deal with."

Naru paused and then looked his father in the eyes. "Thank you."

Martin shook his head. "Luella would kill me if I overworked you." He closed his eyes and walked away slowly.

* * *

The sun had finally come out and two teenagers sat together on the grass, one blond and one dark, sitting close but not touching. The blond man was wearing a black shirt with dog collar in the traditional style of a priest, as the girl wore a black kimono. John looked down at the girl by his side and sighed. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Masako shook her head. "It's no one's fault that I just happened to fall in love with a priest."

John smiled faintly. "Don't forget that the priest just happened to fall in love with you too." He sighed and she rested her head against his shoulder. "What a mess."

Masako murmured her agreement and took his hand. "Is it better to love a dead man or one who chose celibacy?" She wondered aloud, and John laughed wryly.

"Neither choice is exactly conventional." He whispered, and kissed the top of her head. "I don't know if I'm ready to give up as a priest just yet..."

"I wouldn't ask you to." Masako stated firmly. "God is the basis of your life and if I took that away I could never forgive myself."

"I'm asking for time." He murmured, and looked away. "Just time."

Masako nodded. "Take all the time you need." She looked at him with dark, honest eyes and smiled.

"Thank you." He said, looking at her for a long moment. "Thank you."

* * *

Mai walked past several open doors behind which sat grieving groups of people, and closed her eyes to it. _Luella wasn't directly involved... why choose her? It should have been..._

"Don't think it." Naru warned, from beside her, and she looked at him, startled.

"Think what?"

He glared at her and sighed. "Don't pretend otherwise Mai. I know you were thinking that it should have been you." Mai remained silent and looked at him for a long time before he continued. "It's happened now, and we have to think ahead."

Mai nodded and hesitantly reached out to touch his hand, which quickly twisted position so that their fingers laced. He looked down at her and she saw a faint tear in his eye. "I won't lose anyone else." He promised, and she nodded again dumbly.

"Naru?"

"Yeah?"

Mai jumped in front of him with her hands behind her back and stared at him playfully, making the sombre teen blink in surprise. She was going to do her best to cheer him up. "Catch me."

"What?" He started but Mai skipped backwards and smiled.

She turned round and spread her hands out dramatically. "Catch me Naru... If you can!" Then she set off at a run, skidding across the white tiles of the institute and using one hand to grip the wall as she turned corners. She knew he was chasing her from the steady loping footsteps rapidly gaining on her. _Trust Naru to even chase me gracefully! _She thought, and scrambled onto a windowsill, glancing back at his shocked face before swinging it open and jumping down... landing on a thick patch of heather as she fell from the ground floor window.

"Mai!" Naru scolded, pushing himself through the open window using one hand and landing beside her with one elegantly arched eyebrow. "If you wanted to get away from me that much you could have just as easily made bad tea." He cracked a small, weak smile as Mai tugged a piece of the wiry plant from her hair. "Here." He said, and pulled her hand away. "Let me."

Mai sat still as Naru's pale fingers worked the sprig of heather from her brown hair, which had knotted in her futile attempts at rescuing the twig. She ignored the whispered curses and names he called her in English, even though she could now understand the English words perfectly. She smiled to herself as some of his usual behaviour resurfaced.

He moved his hand to show her the twig and she laughed, resulting in the older boy cracking a smile and throw the small Heather sprig to one side, leaning down to kiss the girl in front of him. "Thank you."

Mai raised her eyebrows as he pulled away. "You've been saying Please and Thank you so much lately... are you really Naru?" When he frowned, Mai laughed again and pulled his head down for another kiss. He smirked against her mouth and pulled her close, chuckling darkly and Mai nodded. "Yep... Definitely Naru."

Naru stood up and pulled her with him so that they both stood in the garden; Mai stepped into his chest and wrapped her arms around him, as he returned the gesture. Then, all was peaceful until...

* * *

**I'm sorry it's a short one! but I have an exam in two days so I could only do little bits at a time!!**

Review please! please! please!!


	5. until she came

**Sorry! About both the late update and the cliffhanger!! NEXT CHAPTER IS THE FINAL FIGHT xD**

Until...

"Hi there darlings, did you miss me?" The cold voice made both teenagers stand up, side by side as they glared at the Captain, who stood on the wall surrounding the institute with the ever present Raenef at her side.

Naru put an arm in front of Mai and smirked at the white haired woman. "What are you doing here? You can't get past the barriers." He scathed, backing Mai towards the door. "Besides, I'm beginning to doubt your _superior _powers... You never go anywhere without your followers, your guard dogs."

Mai almost laughed, despite the severity of the situation; Naru's taunts were always so perfectly calculated. His words had struck a chord, however, and her ethereal face twisted in anger. "Fool."

"I beg to differ, but _you _are the fool." He bowed in mock respect and gently pushed Mai through the doors as the Captain watched angrily from her place at the wall.

Mai watched over Naru's shoulder as he closed the door, but not before the Captain started laughing... really laughing, as though she were the happiest she had ever been. "See you soon darlings! You can't hide behind your barrier forever!" The door clicked shut and Naru rested his head against it, breathing out heavily. Mai moved close and rested her hands against his back.

"She's right." Naru said, in a low voice, almost a growl. "We can't hide forever, so we have to fight." He pushed himself off the door and turned to look at Mai. "How has the dream training with Gene been going?"

Mai nodded. "Good. I'm pretty sure I can stop you collapsing from your PK abilities." She looked at him earnestly. "But... just for today... can't we _not _work? Can't we just be together?" She looked away as Naru froze. "I'm sorry, forget it, we can sort this out; it's more important..."

He put a finger over her mouth and she trailed off, looking at him in confusion. "Ok."

"Huh?"

"I said alright."

"To what? Work or Play- Not work?"

Naru smirked. "Mai, I love you."

Mai nodded dumbly as he took her hand and led her away from the front door.

* * *

Houshou sat next to the redheaded doctor and sighed heavily. "Sometimes... I wonder what bizarre twist of fate led us all to where we are; was it one specific action? Or the cumulative effect of several choices?" He murmured, and Ayako nodded.

"Maybe we can blame it on Mai's classmate... what was her name again?"

"I forget."

"Right... maybe it was her that forced us all together... after all, without her case, we'd not have met."

The monk shook his head. "We would have been called for the building anyway... Land subsidence, remember?" He looked at her. "Was it Mai? If she'd not decided to work for Naru, we certainly wouldn't have."

Ayako nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe... but she'd have been hunted down anyway by the Captain, right?"

"Then... was it Naru?"

"He's not the cause."

"Rin?"

"..." Ayako looked at him. "Because of her..."

Takigawa nodded. "Not that it matters now."

"Not that it matters." She agreed. "I don't even know if I'll survive the night, or if any of us will live out the next hour."

Houshou leaned his head on Ayako Matsuzaki's shoulder and sighed again. "Better make it one hell of an hour."

"What are you talking about?" She demanded, but then his lips were on hers.

"I... guess I sort of... love you." He blushed. "Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Well ok, I'm crazy over you."

"Same." She smiled, and Houshou grinned, muttering something about old women and experience before kissing her again. Ayako frowned. "Smooth talker." She muttered sarcastically, but kissed him back anyway.

* * *

"Checkmate."

"Again?"

"You're a terrible player Rin."

"You can see the future! You're cheating!"

David sniggered as he listened to his two sisters fight over the game of chess set out on the floor; he loved them both, and in a way, he loved Oliver too. After all, he was his nephew.

"Checkmate."

"You made three moves!"

"I can't help being talented." Alice murmured disinterested as her older sister and guardian pouted as she looked at the board. "Or maybe you just lack intelligence."

"What?! I'm a DOCTOR!"

"You bring people to life... that's got nothing to do with intelligence."

David glared at his youngest sister and voiced his displeasure. "Don't shout it to the world Alice. Let Mai find out her powers by herself."

Alice glared back. "You think I'd risk the future by shouting things when people can overhear?"

"I don't know, but you're growing careless and you've stopped minding your safety. You know you needn't have followed me last night."

Rin glanced at Alice then at David. "What's going on here? Alice... Show me your hand."

"No."

"Alice!"

The small girl stood up angrily and pulled her gloves further up her wrists. "I made a choice. I'm going to stick to it." She stepped over the chessboard and stood beside her eldest sister. "I know the curse will take my life if I follow this path, but I'm going to help them. I've seen what happens to this world if they fail." She strode from the room and left her siblings in a tense silence.

"What do you think she'll do?"

"What can she do?"

"Obviously something."

David sighed and shook his head. "It's her choice, she's right."

"No."

"No?"

"I won't let her give her life away." Rin growled and David frowned.

"Yet it is fine for her to sacrifice everyone else for her own sake?"

Rin glared at him in fury, and turned to face him, anger evident on her flushed face. "You agree with her?!" She stood up and stormed over to him. "I went to Japan to try to stop the Captain! I've only ever thought about stopping her!"

"No, you've only ever thought about protecting your family."

"What?" Rin lifted a hand to her mouth. "I... How is that different?"

David lifted his ice-blue eyes to those of his sister. "You only think that those connected to you by blood are important. If everyone but the four of us dies, you'd be happy." He didn't move his eyes from hers, not even when she slapped him. "It's true."

Rin threw herself away from the blond boy and backed away until she tripped and fell on the floor, staring at her hand. "I- I'm sorry David..."

"It's fine." He shrugged. "But I think she might be right now. I only just realised, and I was angry before, but we should help them." When Rin didn't reply, he sighed again. "Go and teach Mai everything you know."

Rin's eyes flared in rebellion, and anger at being ordered around by a child, but then her eyes dimmed and she got up, leaving the room silently.

David turned another page of his book on Psychic phenomenon and smiled. "I do feel a kind of love for my nephew... I see those I love in him and his work." He stroked the pages and read the author's name aloud. "Oliver Davis."

* * *

The captain was sitting with Raenef and Adrian at the waterfall gate to the spirit world when she felt it. "No. No, no, no, no, NO!" She screamed and held her head, glaring at the ground. "NOT AGAIN!"

Adrian smiled softly, unseen by the Captain and vice-captain. _That's one way of temporarily stopping her plans... _She raised her eyebrows as she watched the blond vice-captain try to reassure the white haired woman.

"So... she's not a virgin?"

Raenef glared at her and the Captain screamed in her fury.

"I'll take that as a no..." Adrian smiled. It wasn't ideal, but it bought time, even if it only agitated the Captain so much that it drove her insane.

Hormonal teenagers, it seemed, were not easy to control.

* * *

**(shock) Naru and Mai did the nasty!! xD hehe oh well... gets things moving**

**I hit a bit of a writers block here... hope it wasn't too obvious... though it probably was...**

**REVIEW PLEASE!!**


	6. The morning after

**Gomen Gomen! I've had my final exams and I had to study SOLID :P Apart from little breaks to do the joint humour projrct "Meeting the Family of Mai Taniyama" with x-Giggles-x (Check it out. I love it xD) I've been writing this literally a sentence at a time!!**

**It's a bit longer than the last one though so hopefully it makes it a bit better...**

* * *

"Is she over it yet?" Adrian asked lounging against the rocks as Raenef sat near a silent Captain, who was doing... something crazy with her hands...

Raenef glared at the flippant guide of the dead. "What do you think?" He snapped. "This is the second time she has gifted a human with her essence and the second time that she has been betrayed."

Adrian raised her eyebrows but remained silent.

"Captain?" Raenef started, before biting his lip and looking away. Adrian coughed quietly and suddenly the Captain disappeared before appearing in front of the other woman, leaning close to her face.

"Got something to say to me Adrian?" She snapped, and grabbed her by the chin. "I've always liked you." She whispered, as Adrian stared at her coolly. "I've always known that you hid your true motive, yet no one else ever picked up on it. I loved that. I loved you for it." She glared icily into Adrian's eyes. "Tell me what you're thinking, Adrian."

"That you should give up." Adrian replied, when the Captain finished. "You and I both know that this was your last chance, and it's over. You made a mistake, and they exploited it. If her purity was such an issue, you should have taken her at birth and raised her yourself. Or you should have killed Naru when you could. You could have acted as though you were the greater good..."

"Ok. Ok." The Captain pouted. "Don't need to point out _all _my mistakes."

"This was your last chance, Captain. You die next month."

"I KNOW damn it!" The captain shouted, and then seemed to catch herself. "Wait... Adrian..."

Adrian waited patiently for her to voice her musings. Raenef watched the two women intently with bated breath. Had he heard what he thought he'd heard?

"You called him... Naru."

Adrian kept her face impassive, but her mind had exploded in a flaming blast of fury at her own stupidity.

* * *

**(Ready for the morning after scene? lol)**

The sun was rising slowly. Soft, lazy light filtered through a gap between the white linen curtains of Oliver Davis' bedroom in the institute.

The teenager himself was lying on his back with one arm loosely draped over his eyes and the other over the back of the girl sleeping beside him, with his hand resting on the back of her head which was nestled into his chest, hiding her face from the waking world.

The dark haired boy opened his eyes slowly and blinked against the soft light. Moving his arm to further cover his eyes as he groaned; he's been having a nice dream for once...

Why was his right hand side so warm?

Oh yeah. Mai was huddled against him, and it was the feel of skin against skin that made him warm.

Hmm.

Ok Naru could sleep now he'd solved that little mystery.

Shit. No he couldn't.

Memories of the previous night came flooding back and Naru looked down at the girl contemplatively. He definitely didn't regret it, but Mai...

Despite what he often said, Mai could be unpredictable. You could never be sure of how she'd react to something unplanned, as for this... the reactions could be anything from a cute blush to her completely freaking out and avoiding him for who knows how long?

Naru wasn't good with delicate situations... and god knows he didn't deal with them often. He was contemplating what to do when Mai woke up.

"Ah!"

"Ah!" He yelled back, and they both sat upright, falling sideways off the bed onto Naru's Beech wood floor. They both groaned in pain and then looked at each other accusingly. "Idiot." Naru started, as Mai blushed and leaned forwards angrily.

"You're the one who was staring at me!"

"I wasn't! You're the one who shouted first!" He denied, and she frowned.

"Naru!"

"Mai." He warned, and they both suddenly became very aware of their nakedness. Mai blushed, Naru smirked and they didn't say anything for a short while, before a knock at the door broke them from their staring contest. "Who is it?" Naru called, and the door opened to show Alice standing there perfectly calm as Mai squealed and pulled the sheet up to cover herself and Naru subtly shifted the corner of said sheet to cover his... lap.

Alice pretended not to notice. "Mr. Takigawa will come here looking for Mai in half an hour, so get dressed or it won't be pretty." Hiding what seemed like a wince of pain, and clenching one hand; she smirked and crossed her arms. "Noll, I know it's not a good time but I'd like to try and learn control over my power... There are some things a girl my age should _not _be seeing..." She looked at them meaningfully.

Mai had the decency to blush but Naru simply nodded. "I will get one of the doctors to work with you on a one-to-one basis, will that do?"

"Yep!" She grinned. "Thanks!" She seemed about to leave but then turned and stared at Mai. "Ooh... cool." She whispered and then ran over to Mai hugging her tightly. "Thank you so much... I'm so happy!"

Naru and Mai exchanged wary glances but Alice sat back on her heels.

"Unfortunately Takigawa's beating will simply be postponed not cancelled... But don't worry Naru." She patted the naked man's shoulder reassuringly. "You'll... survive." She laughed and ran from the room with a call of. "25 minutes to go!"

Mai started grinning and Naru watched her warily. "Did you... get happy pills and give them to Alice or something?"

"If I had happy pills I'd get them to you first." She retorted. "But it really seems that Alice-chan has cheered up right? That's good. I'm glad."

"I wonder why she hugged you." Naru brooded, and Mai frowned.

"Who knows? That girl sees the future after all..." She sighed. "It could be anything..."

Naru looked from Mai, to the door, and then back again. "Takigawa will be looking for you... we should really get dressed..."

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

"Ah!" A third voice yelled, and the couple looked up to see David standing in the open doorway, covering his eyes with one arm. "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! I just- uh- I mean..." One blue eye looked at them apologetically. "Have either of you seen my sister?"

Mai nodded. "Alice went towards the cafeteria..."

"No, I mean Rin. She's gone."

* * *

Ayako shook the lazy monk off her and scowled; they'd been up most of the night talking and bonding and confessing etc... Then he wakes her up in the morning with his snores! "Pathetic." She scolded his still sleeping form on the floor beside the sofa. "You're lucky I love you. Idiot."

"Old lady." He mumbled in his sleep and rolled over, with a silly grin on his face. Ayako rolled her eyes and hit him on the side of the head impatiently. "Ow!" He yelled, sitting upright. "What was that for?" He accused, glaring up at her sulkily.

"Being an idiot!"

"Mean words! So cold!" He wailed, grabbing onto her and hugging her waist. "So mean Ayako!"

She rolled her eyes again but ruffled his hair affectionately, then kissing him. "But that's for being _my_ idiot."

Bou-san giggled and tilted his head to one side childishly. "Always." He said simply.

The door to the room opened and Masako walked in, sighing, seemingly lost in her thoughts as she glanced around nervously. "Masako?" Ayako started, but the girl didn't reply, and stopped in 

the middle of the room, seemingly lost in thought. She stood there for a few minutes before Ayako cleared her throat and tried again. "Masako? What's wrong?"

Masako turned her large, enigmatic eyes on the couple and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry to intrude." She said, and bowed. "But do either of you know where Mai is?"

Takigawa stood up and walked over to the petite medium, ruffling her neat hair playfully, which earned him a vicious glare. "I'll help ya look. What do you want her for?"

"Martin wants to talk to her."

Ayako stood up. "I'll come too." She stated and eyed her nails critically. "We're sitting ducks anyway, waiting for this Captain woman to make her next move."

"Yeah..." Masako agreed, and the three fell into silence, memories of the funeral vivid in their minds' eyes.

"Come on then, let's look. I'll go and ask Naru-chan." Takigawa grinned. "Oh, hi David." He greeted the blond boy.

"Have any of you seen Rin?" David asked, breathlessly, and when the three ghost hunters shook their heads he cursed and ran off down the corridor.

"What the-..." Ayako trailed off and lifted a hand in defeat. "Whatever. Let's get Mai."

* * *

Takigawa loped up the stairs two at a time and lazily knocked on Naru's bedroom door with the back of his hands. "Yo, Naru!" He called, and there was a faint call of 'hold on!' as he heard the footsteps approach the door. "Naru, you seen-? Oh Mai-chan!" He poked his head around the door and waved cheerily past Naru to the –fully dressed- girl sitting on the edge of the bed with a couple of books beside her.

It looked so sweet; Naru must have been tutoring her!

Takigawa pushed past Naru into the room and grabbed Mai's wrist. "Mai-chan!" He sang. "Professor Davis- well, the other one, want to speak to you!" He pulled Mai out of the room and didn't notice her share a conspiratorial glance with Naru as they both smiled and Mai was pulled down the corridor.

Naru ran a hand through his hair and eyed the room critically. "It seems that I need to wash the sheets..." He ran a hand over his face and groaned; he felt really groggy this morning.

But happy. Undeniably happy.

He sighed and began to strip the bed, choosing to do it himself instead of telling the cleaning staff to. This way he got... fewer funny looks.

* * *

Martin sat in his office, staring at a photo of him, Luella, Oliver and Gene together in Bradgate Park, the national park near their house in England. Luella and he were standing by the war memorial there as Noll and Gene stood on the base of the statue, Gene behind Luella, and Noll behind Martin.

With his left hand, Martin covered the smiling faces of his wife and older son, looking at his own carefree smile and Noll's gentle, open smile as the hand of his brother pushed at the side of his head.

Small droplets of water fell onto the small photograph and Martin removed his glasses to wipe his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I can't waste time grieving..." He sighed and released his nose, pulling a handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiping the steam from his glasses. Then the familiar sound of the Scottish band "Runrig" sounded and he pulled out his mobile phone, raising his eyebrows when he saw the name on the caller ID. "Hello?" He whispered. "Who is this?"

"Didn't your phone tell you? It's me, Adrian."

"Adrian?" The name sounded familiar but-

"I can't talk long. But you have to hide Mai in the hiding place underground. She's coming _now!_"

There was the long, dull tone of Adrian hanging up and Martin stood up as Mai opened the door. "You wanted to see me?"

"Mai." He sighed. _Now I remember... I wanted to give her that present... _"There's no time for that now. Get over here." He ordered with a voice that was _way _too much like his son's in attitude as he knelt on the floor and pulled back the rug to reveal a metal trap door. "I'll send Noll in soon." He promised before pushing her into the small room heavily sealed and hidden.

Mai stared up at him dumbly as the steel door closed and hid her beneath the institute. Martin ran a hand through his thinning hair and put the small box for Mai on the desk. Inside was something Luella had always wanted her to have; she'd wanted to gift it to her on the day of her wedding (even if it wasn't to Noll) and let her keep it.

"My darling..." Martin whispered, looking at the photo before leaving the room. "... Forgive me but I don't think that there will be a wedding."

* * *

"Rin?" David shouted, running up to the last place he hadn't yet checked- the roof. He arrived at the top and pushed open the fire door, falling out and stumbling onto the roof where the bitter highland wind whipped his golden blond hair about his face as he searched the open space for the dark haired woman he hoped was there.

A gentle hand fell onto his shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. "I'm here." Rin murmured. She smiled weakly. "I just had to do some thinking."

"I know it hurts that Alice has chosen to die this way." David started.

"There might be a chance... Maybe if we kill the captain Alice's curse will disappear." Rin said. "I know we can do it, David. I know we can."

"Rin. Stop it." David ordered, and the older woman stared at him.

"How dare you-..."

"Your behaviour is obsessive. Tell the others everything you know and then give up."

Rin glared at her young brother and shook her head. "This is my vendetta."

"It's not. Not anymore." David insisted. "Mai's done the same thing you did. The Captain's attentions will now be solely focused on her and Naru." He reached out and pulled his sister into a hug. "You're free."

"They killed our parents. How can you say that?"

"I don't even remember their faces! That's how!" David shouted. "When I try to think of my mother's face, yours is the only one I can see!" He looked up at Rin's face and shook his head at her shocked expression. "I feel no grief for losing them, only for not being able to have them... but that's just a dull ache that I feel only on the anniversary of their deaths when you cry! If Alice and I lose you, we lose our mother."

Rin stared at him, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. "Yo-you don't remember them at _all_?" She whispered, fighting the tears. "I..."

"Don't fight. Stay here and heal the wounded. Your power is to heal, and it's Alice's power to plan strategies. It's mine and only mine, in this family, to fight." He smiled and Rin's arms tightened around him.

"The moment you get even a _scratch _I swear... Come straight to me for healing." She ordered and David smiled, knowing he'd won.

"I promise."

* * *

John stood at the front door, with his back against the brick wall. His blue eyes were closed against the Scottish wind and the collar of his long jacket turned up in an attempt to keep warm. His hands were pushed into his pockets **(for British people -I don't know if it's shown in America...- Think David Tennant as Dr Who love)** to keep his fingers from freezing.

The sound of the door opening made the blond young man turn his head and open his eyes as the petite girl walked out and turned to look at him.

"Ah... John."

John smiled softly. "Hey."

Masako averted her eyes and lowered her head so that her short hair swung to hide her face. "Have you seen Mai? Mr. Davis..."

"It's ok." He pulled a hand from his pockets and hesitantly touched her shoulder. "I've spoken to a group in Eastern Europe. There's something called the Byzantine..."

Masako gripped his hand tightly. "I love you." She whispered. John felt himself grin and he chuckled to himself.

"You know what?" He said, and pulled her to him in a gentle kiss. "I love you too."

Masako smiled. Truly smiled. For the first time since Gene died.

* * *

**Kind of a filler chapter... don't kill me!! the next chapter will be dedicated to the reviewer(s) who successfully guess why Alice was so happy when talking to Mai and Naru. lol.**

**REVIEW!**


	7. Adrian decides to fight

**I am so so so so so SO sorry that it's taken this long to put this chapter up, but I had writers block with this story for AGES and JUST when I had this idea on how to finish this my laptop went out of action! Luckily it's fixed now... hehe. You'll like the end of this chapter. You will.**

"Alright loves." The Captain was dressed in a floor length white skirt with slits up each side, revealing heavily armoured metal boots. Her tope was cut above the midriff but the utility belt covered most of her bare, pale skin. Her hair was loose, and behind her, Raenef stood tall and proud in a similar outfit, but with white trousers tucked into the metal boots, and his blond hair was gathered into a ponytail.

And of course, he had a heavy metal chain in one hand, with the other end attached to a metal choker on the death keeper, Adrian. Adrian was dressed much as she would when guarding the gate. Her black sleeveless shirt was plain, and her manacled hands were held behind her back by Boar as her feet, which were bare and dirty, were tightly held together by the same metal cuffs. Her black shorts were smeared with dust and her dark hair was messy.

If it wasn't for her face, she'd have looked completely beaten. Her eyes still held amusement and her mouth was upturned and proud, though her lip bled. "You think you've won?"

"Nope." The Captain chirped, and turned to look at her former favourite with cold eyes. "This is more like revenge. Really Adrian, you don't know me well enough by now?" She smirked and shrugged. "Rin's there. Mai's there. Everyone I have a grudge against is in that building. I've not won, and you know that. I'll never get _that _which I've wanted for so long. But..."

"But?" Adrian prodded.

"But... I want to teach them a lesson. They will all die _now_. Today. Except for Rin and Mai, who I will simply... destroy."

Adrian sighed; she knew what the captain meant. As special punishment, Rin's and Mai's souls would be extracted and confined to the graves of those they lost today.

"You're too kind." Adrian muttered and grunted when a sword sliced into her side. "Ah. Doumeki. Hi there."

The stoic young man narrowed his eyes and bowed to the captain, who nodded and allowed him through. As Adrian's side healed up, leaving a bloodstained rip in her shirt, she sighed and watched the gathered ranks of the Captain's warriors sadly.

"It's a shame that this has to happen." She whispered, and the Captain raised an eyebrow in curiosity as Adrian began to tremble. "I'm afraid... that I will be forced to pull rank just this once."

"What?" Raenef growled, but Adrian smirked and lifted her chin defiantly.

"It seems that you've forced me into this fight, Captain, when I'd have been happy to watch from the sidelines and simply give you all advice."

The Captain's eyes were forced shut as the power washed over her like water from a broken dam.

* * *

Martin ran a hand through his hair as he left the office, looking around the hallway for his son. Then there was the steady tapping of Noll's leather shoes as he strode around the corner and smiled when he saw his father at the door to his office. "Father." He greeted, and Martin smiled, clapping his son's shoulder. "Where's Mai?"

"The captain will be here shortly, so I've hidden her in a specially prepared cellar room." Martin sighed. "Noll, obey your father this once and go... stay safe with her." Martin took advantage of his son's surprise, pushing him through the door and locking it behind them. He opened the heavy trapdoor and revealed Mai's surprised –and confused- face.

"Naru!" She smiled, and the boy was pushed into the dimly lit room, with the door closed behind them.

"Stay safe children." Martin sighed, and left the office.

* * *

"Ayako?" John asked, and the miko smiled as she saw his hand interlaced with that of Masako's. "We thought we might have seen someone outside..."

There was a cry from somewhere within the building and instantly shouts of "INTRUDER!" echoed through the corridors. Ayako blanched and grabbed John's free hand, dragging he and Masako away from the open door.

"Wait here!" She ordered, "Whatever you do, do not fight!" She paused and frowned apologetically. "Masako is a medium, not a PK user or exorcist... and John, you need to take care of her." She ran from the room and the blond man almost followed but the hand he still held tightly pulled him back. He looked at Masako in confusion.

"I- I know it's selfish of me..." Masako whispered. "...B-But I only just got you..." She wiped her tears away and looked at him sadly. "Don't go."

John pulled her into a tight embrace and breathed out harshly, in something close to a sob. "I can't sit here and wait for the others to win or lose... I can help." He whispered, before kissing her forehead quickly. "I'll come back for you." He promised. "I will."

Then Masako's arms held nothing but air and the door to the lounge was closed. She heard John bless the doorway and then his running footsteps fading away down the corridor. She touched her forehead where he had kissed her and closed her eyes, smiling grimly. "I don't seem to be very lucky in relationships." She muttered, and looked around the room. "Damn."

* * *

Alice bowed her head as she stepped into the corridor. She could hear the rapid tapping of footsteps running towards her and she smiled as she looked up at the spirit manifested as a follower of the Captain. "You're Doumeki-kun, right?"

The tall teenager stopped before collision and looked at her narrowly. He said nothing.

Alice nodded. "I thought so." She sighed. "Who is it that you want?" She waited and there was still no response. "You're the quiet sort aren't you?"

"..."

Alice laughed and put a hand to her head. "Well... I'm supposing that you're after Rin, right? Nod if I'm right... you don't have to speak to me." Her eyes narrowed as he nodded once, barely. 

"Well... there's a bit of a problem with that. Rin, as you probably guessed from the similar faces, is my older sister. I can't let random guys come in and attempt murder."

Doumeki raised his chin defiantly and pulled out a slender katana. "If you know who I am then you know why I want to kill Rin first."

"He speaks!" Alice smirked, but nodded. "Yeah... You think it's her fault that you died, right? You think she deceived you into impregnating her, the act resulting in the Captain's revenge killing." Alice walked up to Doumeki without fear and hugged him round the waist. "The Captain pretended to feel sorry for you, pretended to give you immense power when your spirit possessed that power all along, and so you follow her blindly." She raised wide, tear-filled eyes to meet Doumeki's. "But I know, from what Rin has said of you, that you are a good man, and you won't kill needlessly."

Doumeki watched her in silence, and it struck Alice just how tall he really was, before she felt her small frame lifted and she was soon sitting on the Japanese man's shoulders.

"Eh?" She squeaked, and Doumeki's face remained impassive.

"Where is Rin?" He murmured, and Alice closed her eyes, willing a vision to occur, but when it didn't, she went with her best judgement.

"Upstairs..." She whispered, and Doumeki broke into a run.

* * *

Takigawa ran down to the main reception area and joined the gathered masses of PK users and exorcists, picking up his robes from behind the desk; he pushed through the crowd to a greying man. "Martin! What's going on?"

The bespectacled man turned and smiled ruefully. "The Captain's made her move. I've split the non-attack type people into groups and they've all been put into various strongholds to be kept safe. Lin has just taken that last group now."

"Where's Ayako?"

"She took one of the groups to the lounge, where Masako is, but she'll be back soon to help."

Takigawa bit his lip but nodded. "So we're pretty much set?"

"Looks that way." Ayako drawled, and shrugged. "Hey, Takigawa..."

"Yeah?"

"Remember in that last case? How Mai and Naru were reincarnations of that Geisha and her lover?"

Takigawa eyed the redhead cautiously. "What?" He asked, but Ayako simply waved her hand.

"It doesn't matter... it's probably nothing."

* * *

"What the hell did you do?!" The Captain shrieked, looking around her at the remains of her loyal soldiers. "Adrian! How did you?!"

Adrian sighed. "I left you one." She smirked as Raenef stood up. "One loyal soldier left. If you don't mind... I have to go home. The source is unstable." She disappeared and Raenef rubbed his head as he winced.

"Everyone's gone..." He muttered. "Captain?" He turned wide blue eyes to stare at his mistress. "Do you... want to give up?"

"I said this was revenge." She snapped. "I'm not letting them all get away unharmed." She smirked. "Their barrier just disappeared. Remind me to thank Doumeki."

The two surviving spirits leapt from the wall and entered the grounds of the Institute. The Captain leading the way with a grim frown of annoyance as she rushed through the grounds and into the eerily empty hallway. She smiled as she heard the scuffling of the 'soldiers' in the shadows.

Martin was the first to appear, with Lin at his side he looked at the Captain carefully. "For someone so ominous, you're not exactly what I'd have expected." He frowned. "For one thing, you're not a god or anything of the sort." He removed his glasses calmly and polished them, inspecting the lenses against the light. "You're just an ordinary spirit."

"I'm _not._" The Captain hissed.

Martin raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? James!"

The young nurse stepped forward and smirked. "You'd forgotten about me, right?" He nodded to Raenef and the Captain with a smile but his eyes steeled as he lifted a small notebook to wave at them. "I've been in America. Chicago, actually." He paused and rubbed his chin. "I didn't have long but Yasuhara helped and so did the University students I met who were in their final year of a reporting Major."

Raenef stepped forwards but a Shiki quickly blocked his path. "You-!"

James cleared his throat. "There was an Albino woman admitted to the Chicago Institute for the criminally insane in the year 1871. She was admitted after killing her family, harassing the police with stories of ghosts and attempting to hang herself." He rubbed the back of his head and looked up at the Captain, who glared back at him, crackling with energy. James smiled softly. "Yeah... Once she was in the institute, the doctors noted that mysterious phenomenon happened when she was alone in a room; walls would have tiles torn off the wall even though she was physically restrained and objects would fly from the surfaces. Do you recognise this story...?"

The Captain glanced at Raenef, who was staring at her in confusion. "But you said..."

"Roxy Thompson. You're just a powerful spirit and everything you've said up till now has been a lie. You didn't give power to Mai or Rin... You simply felt their power and sought them out." James smirked, tossing the documents he held to the captain's feet. "I'm sorry that it looks like we've been freaking out, but I only just got here and informed everyone who you really are." He shrugged and smiled at Roxy apologetically. "So Lin doesn't need to worry anymore about the consequences of this."

A whistle pierced the air and five glowing spirits darted from the shadows and surrounded the two offensive spirits, as the captain grimaced and flailed wildly against the spirits, successfully disposing of two, she closed her eyes and concentrated, opening them after she'd managed her illusion, and ran down the corridor leaving Raenef and a copy of herself amidst the Shiki.

One of the Shiki noticed the illusion but she dispersed it before Lin was alerted to her presence, and she hurried down the hall, searching for the familiar presence of Rin.

"You might not want to go that way." A voice said, amused as the Captain whirled round, disorientated. "They'll be expecting you now. Everyone has been alerted to your presence here."

"You..." The Captain clenched her fists. "Why are you here? You're dead."

"Oops." Luella smiled, putting a hand to her mouth. "Silly me, I must have forgotten. But seriously..." Luella Davis calmly walked up close to the Captain and patted her head. "I won't let you _near _my family. And that includes everyone in this building."

**LUELLA'S BACK! Because I missed her! lol. The end is coming! but probably not next chapter... I think I know how to end it now!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! Though I probably don't deserve it because of the late update...**


	8. Death of Roxy

**Ok, This chapter will be the last, excepting an epilogue, but, in this you'll find out whats going on with Luella and stuff gets sorted out... review when you're done!**

"You forced me to do this." Adrian sighed, moving to stand beside Luella. "For several years now I've let you underestimate me, and I've watched you from the background, waiting for you to show me who you were." She sighed and glanced at Luella. "This woman here is solid by the way. She's real. Alive."

Luella smiled warmly and took Adrian's hand. "Oh! I almost forgot!" She gasped, rummaging in her bag.

FLASH

"Roxy's face is so cute when she's surprised!" Luella laughed, showing the image to Adrian. "Look at those wide eyes!"

Adrian laughed gently. "Are you jealous, Roxy?" She glanced at the captain. "This is what you wanted when you set your sights on the next world, after all. Unfortunately, this is the one thing that the power there couldn't do. You had the key right under your nose the whole time. All I needed to do was will it."

Roxy finally seemed to snap back to reality. "You've been lying to me all this time?" She turned accusing eyes on Adrian, biting her lip in fury. "You were one of my best!"

Adrian rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You tried to involve me in your fantasy. You killed people, and used your powers to manipulate others, hoping all along to become human again."

There was a heavy pause and a soft footfall behind Roxy. There stood Rin, David, and Doumeki with Alice sat on his shoulder, who grinned at Luella and waved chirpily, almost tumbling off the large spirit's shoulders.

"Hey!"

Luella smiled and waved back. "Alice, how are you, sweetie?"

"Oh fine, fine. You know Martin's been pretty miserable without you!" The small girl grinned, clutching Doumeki's head and hoisting herself into a more comfortable position, making the older boy frown in annoyance, but making no move to move the young girl. "You should go to see him soon."

"I will darling, I just need to unlock Noll and Mai first." Luella laughed. "Martin has them in the safest part of the building."

The Captain growled and lunged at Luella but before she hit the woman, Alice had already jumped onto her back, covering her eyes. "Now! Shoot now!"

Doumeki pulled the string of his bow and loosed an arrow into the captain's back. "You knew I'd do that..." Roxy coughed, as her spirit began to disperse into the air. "That's the last time you change the future..." She grinned, as Alice looked at her hand, and the long, deep gash across it.

"I know." Alice smiled. "But I'll see you burn in hell first."

David ran forwards as the captain disappeared, catching his sister and kneeling with her cradled against him. "Alice!" He hissed. "I told you not to..."

"Would you have rather I let her kill everyone here? If Doumeki had missed, then she would have killed Luella, taken Adrian's power and destroyed everything." Alice sighed. David bit his lip.

"I know. I just don't want you to die."

"Oh well." Alice winked. "If you're a good boy I'll see you in heaven."

"Well technically it's not _heaven _per se..." Adrian started but as everyone turned to glare at her she shrugged. "I am selective on who I let in though... whatever, let's call it heaven for now."

"Great I feel _so_ much better about my little sister dying." David scathed and turned to Alice with tearful eyes. "I'll see you there."

"See you there." Alice agreed, and Rin knelt beside them, kissing Alice's forehead and hugging David to her chest.

"Love you."

* * *

"It always ends up this way." Mai smiled as she ate dinner with the (newly reformed) Davis family.

"What do you mean?" Naru sighed. "As far as I know no one has ever come back to life before, no one has ever prepared for war before and we have definitely never eaten together like this before."

Mai frowned. "That's not what I mean. I mean it's all over so fast. With every case there's this huge build up and then, suddenly, there's a solution and it's over."

"I know what you mean." Luella agreed. "Everyone's lost until one moment when suddenly everything is clear, and uncomplicated. Then the spirit is exorcised and done with."

"Well..." Martin sighed. "It wasn't _quite _like that this time. For instance; Adrian's still confusing..."

"She's in charge of the dead, Martin darling, she's allowed."

"Yes but..."

"Why not Gene?" Naru finished. "Why not Doumeki? Or Alice? She brought mother back but none of the others that Roxy's ghost killed. Why?"

There was a short silence as the four continued eating.

"I got a nice photo of her though." Luella smiled. "Very pretty. She's a lovely looking woman."

"Oh yes." Mai enthused. "I wonder what, or who she was if and when she was alive."

"Maybe she's a demon." Martin smirked.

"Maybe." Naru sighed. "We should stop trying to figure it out."

"..."

"..."

"... Oliver I think that's the first time you've said something like that... ever."

The young man groaned and stood up. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed."

The girl beside him frowned and stood up. "Naru! Be more..." She stopped and put a hand to her mouth. "Be more polite..." She retched, and ran from the room.

"Mai?" Naru shouted, running after her. Martin stood up but Luella put a hand on his arm.

"Leave them be for a bit." She winked. "We'll find out before long."

* * *

Adrian and Gene sat by the waterfall, immersed in their game of cards. "5..."

"6..."

"7..."

"SNAP! Owww!" Gene groaned, rubbing his hand. "I'm never playing Irish snap with you again! You're violent!"

Adrian frowned as she took all the cards. "I can't believe I'm still losing this stupid game!" She hissed. "Can't we play something more intelligent... like bullshit?"

Gene smirked, and put down a card. "You think bullshit is intelligent? Ace..."

"I'm better at that than this." Adrian argued. "2..."

"SNAP!"

"Dammit!"

Gene laughed hard and wiped away a tear as he looked into the sparkling pool beneath them. "Oh, it looks like Noll and Mai are getting the clues. How long do you think it will be before they figure it out?"

"Eight minutes." Alice piped up, walking through the waterfall and sitting by the others. Mai will go for a pregnancy test as soon as Noll figures it out."

"My Aunt's such a know-it-all." Gene grinned, ruffling the girl's hair.

She pouted. "Don't speak like that about your elders."

"Right."

Adrian laughed and sat back against the rock. "I like you guys."

"Why, thank you." Gene said. "But I'm never playing Irish snap with you again if that's what you're after."

"How about bullshit?" Alice grinned as the two older spirits stared at her horrified.

"Oh no." Adrian gasped.

"From the mouths of babes." Gene agreed. "I blame her upbringing."

Alice laughed and shrugged as Adrian shook her head. "I like you guys... there's two job openings if you want them."

"What?"

"Basically, helping me guard the gates." Adrian smiled. "I get bored on my own usually..."

The two younger spirits looked at each other before smiling and nodding. "You sure an old one like you can cope with us?" Gene laughed and Adrian hit him over the head.

"I'm not that old! Just a few millennia..."

* * *

**I don't know about you... But I can't wait to see Takigawa's reaction to this. REVIEW**


	9. Epilogue and New Beginnings

**Ah! The epilogue!! I wanted to make the epilogue really sweet, funny, memorable and a little bit inspiring. But once I started typing my fingers did that word vomit thing... and THIS happened.  
****I'm sorry. I might replace it at a later date...**

* * *

"Mai..."

"Yes, Naru?"

"..."

"Naru?"

"I don't want to do this." He muttered, and the girl beside him stopped, pulling him round to look down at her.

"Naru...!" She said in a low, warning voice, and he groaned.

"Don't you remember the monk's reaction when he found out my real identity?" Naru begged, lifting both of Mai's hands to his face and kissing them quickly, trying to persuade her. "He hit me. Hard."

Mai bit her lip. "Yeah..."

"How do you think he'll react to the fact that we slept together?"

"..." Mai looked uncertain for a moment; really- bou-san's big brother act got a bit too... convincing sometimes. "... He'll probably hit you again..."

"Hit me." Naru said, completely deadpan. "Mai, you're not that stupid... Obviously I won't make it out of that room alive."

"Maybe some of the others will help you?"

"..." Naru rolled his eyes. "Sure. It's not as though Ayako won't take her boyfriend's side, and it's not as if John frowns on sex outside of marriage or anything."

"Masako?"

"Mai. Have you seen her with John lately?" Naru snapped, and Mai had to agree; no help there. "My parents will just stand at the side taking photos..."

Mai laughed and hugged him round the waist. "Rin and David like you. They'll help." She smiled hopefully and Naru frowned, stroking the side of her face.

"Mai... They left this morning."

"What?"

"Rin said she didn't want to stay, and she's the only family David has now."

Mai was silent for a moment before grinning widely. "Lin! Lin won't let you die!"

"Mai!" Naru growled as she pulled him through the door into the dining room where SPR was gathered around the dining table, all looking intently at Naru and Mai. "Uh..." Naru bit his lip –obviously an annoying characteristic picked up from his assistant Dammit- "We have something to... tell you."

"The great Oliver Davis at a loss for words?" John smiled, and picked up a glass of wine, sipping it slowly. "This must be really obscure."

"Not obscure." Masako disagreed, patting his arm. "But scary. Remember the case with the kittens? Obviously something's licked his hand again."

Naru glared at the two and instead focussed on Lin and Madoka, sitting closest to him. _Don't let them kill me. _He begged silently, but, when they showed no sign of hearing him, he looked down at Mai and squeezed her hand. "Just so you know, before I die, I love you." He said, completely sincere, and Mai laughed quietly.

"Idiot scientist." She muttered and turned a dazzling smile on their audience. "I'm..." She trailed off, smiling guiltily up at Naru, who simply smirked triumphantly.

"See? It's not that easy, is it?" He raised an elegant eyebrow and sighed. "Fine. Fine. I'll say it, but you have to promise to write something intelligent on my gravestone." When Mai giggled nervously and nodded, he turned to the expectant faces of his friends, family and colleagues. "I... Mai is... We're almost certain now that she..." He swallowed and glanced at Takigawa's slightly confused face. "Mai's pregnant with my child."

At that moment, a variety of things happened all at once; Luella, of course, took out her camera, Martin's mouth tugged slightly into a smile, and he sighed wistfully. Ayako growled and handed Yasuhara some money, muttering about how sure she was that they were getting married, and John simply grinned at Masako. Lin smirked to himself, and Madoka clasped her hands over her heart. James seemed transfixed by the news, stunned into silence.

Takigawa went red, then blue, then a weird combination of the two, with a thick vein protruding from his temple, and his fists clenching. "You..." He said, in a low, dangerous voice, and stood up, walking over to Naru. "You took my little sister's innocence?!"

James stood up quietly and stood by Takigawa, advancing on Naru. "You touched our sweet little Mai?" He demanded, rolling up his sleeves. "Oh, boy am I gonna enjoy this."

"Remember Mai." Naru said, backing out of the door quickly, grimacing. "... Something _intelligent_ as my epitaph."

* * *

Rin smiled softly at her little brother as they painted the room of their new flat in Germany. "You alright with this colour, David?"

"Yeah." He smiled. "The old woman in the corner likes it too."

Rin put down her paintbrush and crossed her arms. "The old woman?"

"Yep."

"You let me buy us a _haunted _apartment to start our new life in?"

"Yep."

"That's surprisingly irresponsible of you."

"Yep." David grinned, using the roller to apply the warm red onto the wall, ignoring the flecks of paint catching in his ash-blonde hair. "Isn't it great?"

Rin sighed and picked up her paintbrush again, glancing at the chair in the corner before lowering her voice. "So what does this one need?"

David smiled to himself and began his tale of the old woman's story. This new life would definitely be different, but everywhere needs a couple of do-gooder mediums, and he felt that they fit the bill just nicely for Nuremburg.

"She wants a stripper?" Rin frowned. "David, I draw the line at adult activities."

He smiled apologetically at the old woman and she shrugged. "She'll just stick around for a while then. I always wanted a grandma." He laughed, and threw some paint at his older sister.

This new life? Suited him just fine. No more worries about unknown pursuers, no more terrifying visions...

No Alice.

But the fact that he couldn't see her could only mean that she died peacefully.

"See you when I see you." He whispered, and returned his concentration to the wall.

* * *

"Bye! I'll come and visit soon!" James promised for the eighteenth time as he left to board the plane, hugging Mai tightly. "Don't be a stranger, you _must _come and visit me _all _the time with my niece!"

"She's not your niece if there's no blood connection." Naru snapped, and held forwards the young girl in his arms to kiss her _godfather_ goodbye. "How many times do I need to remind you and the monk that you're not her brothers?"

"Watch it, buddy or we'll go after you again." James grinned, ruffling the Ghost hunter's hair affectionately as the younger man frowned at him. "Isn't that right, Houshou?" He called to the sandy haired man standing on Mai's other side.

"Yeah. But it's kind of nice having such a smart guy as a brother-in-law." Takigawa smirked, winking at Mai who laughed and reached up to smooth Naru's hair.

"We'll visit you all soon." She promised, smiling at John and Masako who picked up their suitcases and grabbed James' arm, pulling him with them. "Phone us when you get thee, ok?"

"Promise." Masako smiled, briefly letting go of James to run over and kiss Mai's cheek. "We'll visit at least once a year!"

John sighed. "What makes you think we'll have enough money for the flights?" He smirked at the medium's horrified expression before laughing. "It's fine, don't worry. I was joking." He placated as she followed him onto the plane, waving back at the group gathered to see them off.

As the three disappeared into the crowd Naru groaned and hung his head so that it touched the dark head of his daughter. "I thought they'd never leave." He sighed, glancing sidelong at the rest of the group- Takigawa, Ayako, Yasuhara, Lin, Madoka and his parents. "All that's left is you lot then life would be pretty much perfect."

Mai rolled her eyes and reached up for the child, buckling her into the buggy and smiling ruefully at Naru. "All that's _left _is for you to propose. Then life would be pretty much perfect." She laughed as Naru raised a hand to his forehead and glared at her.

"I have to separate you from my mother. Obviously spending time with her is having a horrific effect on your judgement." He sighed, reluctantly fishing in his pocket and throwing a small ring case to her. "Here. Have the stupid ring. We're getting married next year."

Mai blushed and smiled wishfully, before suddenly realising what had just happened. "Was that the best proposal you could come up with?" She demanded, lunging at her fiancée and tackling him to the floor. "You didn't even say 'will you marry me' you insensitive jerk!" She yelled, ignoring Luella's camera which must have had a defective flash if the rate of clicks and flashes were anything to go by.

FLASH "You-" FLASH "-horrible-" FLASH "-rude-" FLASH "-narcissistic-" FLASH "-handsome-" FLASH "-Idiot Scientist!" FLASH she shouted, as Naru laughed and tucked some stray hair behind her ear.

"You think I'm handsome?" He smirked, and Mai blushed. "You have good taste." He finished, as she turned even redder and resumed her tirade of insults.

Ayako laughed at the scene and took Takigawa's hand, looking up at him. "You'd better come up with something better." She instructed, as he sighed and saluted to her. "Your parents are very interesting aren't they?" She cooed, turning to the baby girl in the buggy. "Try to turn out with Naru's intelligence and Mai's empathy, rather than Mai's intelligence and Naru's empathy, then you'll be just fine." The redhead smiled, looking into the child's eyes. "Hey. I never noticed before..."

"Noticed what?" Madoka murmured, leaning to look at the child.

Ayako smiled and ran a finger across the baby's cheek. "She looks a lot like her namesake." She cooed. "Little Alice."

"I'm not surprised." Lin smiled. "She is the child's great-aunt."

"What are you guy's talking about?" Mai asked, from her seat on Naru's chest. "Are you insulting my baby?"

"Our baby." Naru corrected, managing to struggle into a seated position on the floor of the airport. "I was involved in her creation you know."

"Oh yeah." Mai said, forgetting the conversation about Alice and kissing her fiancée quickly. "I remember."

"Remember." Takigawa warned the others. "We promised not to tell."

"Yeah." The others agreed, and once Naru and Mai were standing, the group left the airport and headed for the Davis family house once more.

* * *

Alice sighed as she watched the group. "Great-aunt! I'm glad I thanked them for naming their child Alice in advance... you know... while I was still there." She grinned at her nephew who laughed.

"Well, I'm an uncle and I've got to say, with Noll's personality, I didn't realistically think that would be possible." Gene mused. "But I'm definitely glad."

"Great-Aunt sounds really old." Alice pouted, and cried out in pain as Adrian hit her over the head.

"You think that sounds old? How about the title 'ancient guardian of the gate'. Now _that's _a title that ages you." Adrian smirked. "But I like happy endings."

"Yeah." Gene smiled. "But I'm already bored. Let's play cards."

"Sure, what do you want to play?"

"Poker? Not Irish snap... ever again."

"Oh come on..."

* * *

**And that's it. I dislike it, personally, but I couldn't think how to do it nay other way.**

**I got a review saying that the whole Luella thing is confusing... I know it is. (sweatdrop) I wanted her back, for good, so I made Adrian even cooler basically. And she made Luella a living human again.  
What about Luella's body? I hear you ask... And I'm gonna say that... it... it was... (thinks) remade. There's two bodies now xD one of which has a soul.**

**Hope you liked it guys. I want to do a John centric story next though. Cause he's cute and no one writes about him much.**

**REVIEW FOR THE FINAL TIME!!**


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